Dam construction



DAM CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 24, 1936 INVENTORS: EDGHR HFiRRIsoN Pg THoMHs En RKINSON WHRD GHRDNEH INT WYNDHHM THEoooRE V By: 6'

FITTO R N Y Patented Nov. 29, 1938 UNITED STATES DAM CONSTRUCTION Edgar Harrison Parkinson,

Thomas Edward Gardner, and Wyndham Theodore Vint, Bradford, England Application November 24, 1936, Serial No. 112,486 In Great Britain December 3, 1935 4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in connection with reservoir, dam, or like wall construction, and is characterized by the combination with units, which, connected together, makeL up the 5 dam or like structure, of a joint between adjacent unit members of a wall or like whether such unit members be of solid or hollow form, with a view to the elimination of diiculties inherent in usual continuous (that is, unbroken) forms of dam or like wall construction including the effects of contraction and expansion. Y

The said joints connecting adjacent units will each be between two integral members projecting into the water from any part of the near ends of adjoining units and will form the only water tight line of contact between the units. Other lines of contact between adjacent units may be formed by gates, hand or power operated, in cases of emergency, and automatic gates to close by water pressure acting thereon may also be employed and arranged to operate when the joint ceases, from external causes, to function.

Each pair of the integral members carrying the said joint may be said to be in the form of pincers having continuous and exible vertical jaws meeting upon and forming the mating line which preferably will be provided with a suitable jointing material such as mastic asphalt. The flexibility of the jaws will permit of any movement due to expansion and contraction, and will, by the pressure of water thereon, maintain a powerful nip on the mating line, the said water pressure being only upon the outside of the opposing member of the joint.

half or part by one unit member of the wall on each side or vertically disposed end thereof on or towards the water face, and as to the other half or part carried by the adjoining units, will Vary somewhat according to the magnitude of the work and form of unit wall members employed, but in every case the joint members project into the water and present their outer surfaces thereto.

By the provision of a joint between adjacent unit members of a dam wall or like in some cases when or where each unit member may be assembled away from the site and then placed in situ on a suitable foundation and the joints made. 50 Each unit member of the wall may be of any convenient form. It may be solid or -it may be hollow with or without stays or re-inforcement. It may be rectangular or triangular in vertical section with straight or curved sides or may be any combination of these features all providing The form of joint members carried as to one adjacent sections are joined togethed towards the water face with a joint as before described.

Other features incidental to the invention be hereinafter referred to.

We wish it to be understood that we make no claim to reservoir or like wall construction involving slabs with enlarged borders, or edges presenting meeting faces within which joints are made by concrete or other material in a plastic condition. v

In describing our invention in detail reference is made to the accompanying sheet of drawings, similar letters indicating'similar parts, in which,

Fig. 1 represents a sectional plan of a portion of a dam composed of unit members connected by a joint according to one form of our invention.

Fig. 2 represents a sectional plan of adjacent unit members of a dam, with a further form of joint referred to.

Fig. 3 represents an enlarged sectional view of a joint member for adjacent wall units.

Fig. 4 represents an elevation of the upstream face of a portion of a dam according to our invention, and

Fig. 5 represents a cross sectional view through a dam illustrating a detail hereinafter referred to.

To carry our invention into effect and referring to the drawing which illustrates a convenient method of construction, the dam or reservoir wall 30 is made up of a suitable number of units, A, A1, and A2. Each unit will, on each end thereof, be provided integrally with a pincer-like jaw F projecting towards the water and towards similar members of adjacent units, all so disposed that when the units are in place adjacent jaws will meet and form joints J. These joints will preferably be provided with a sealing material such as mastic asphalt indicated by J in Fig. 3.

In Fig. 2 the jaws F are shown connected to or sprung from the ends of units A1 and A somewhat towards their centres, but as will be seen the joint J projects towards and into the water.

In Fig. 3 the jaws F are shown in enlarged sectional plan and behind the joint J gates as T 45 are supplied and arranged so that should the joint J be broken from any cause the water pressure placed upon the gates will cause same to close and yet -such gates will permit of movement of adjacent units due to contraction and expansion.

It will be seen in all cases that the joint construction involves an arrangement of adjacent units with a space as S between same, and access to this space will enable the joints to be inspected from their rear. It is preferred to entirely cover Will and enclose the space S on the downstream side of the wall and over its top and to this end overlapping plates or the like S1 carried by or formed integrally with the units may be provided, see Fig. 2.

Where the space between adjacent unit members is small, access may be had to the rear of the joint fromabove.

In Fig. 4 we have shown the water or upstream face of units and joint members. It is only necessary to carry the upper edges of the jaws or like E to a point above the normal water line W. Exces sive amounts of water may pass over the. lip J .2ofthe joint members and escape through the space S, which, when closed on the downstream face by the member S1, will be provided with escape' holes, doors or iiaps which may also serve as a means of access to the space S.

When desired a suitable roadway may be constructed over the units in such wise as. not to` interfere with the individual movement of unit members under contraction and expansion.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention and in what manner the sameA is to be performed we i declare that what we claim is:-

1. In a dam construction, a series of laterally aligned and.V spaced dam sections, flexible lips extending upstream from theV adjacent lateral portions of the dam sections, said lips extending vertically of the sections and having proximal upstream edges, and a sealing medium' interposed between said proximal edges.

2. In a dam construction, a series of laterally aligned and spaced dam sections, flexible lips carried by the adjacent lateral portions of the dam sections, said lips having upstream extending portions and each pair of adjacent lips having their upstream edges curved toward each other to form arch-like sides having their upstream edges urged toward each other upon water being impounded bythe dam, and a sealing medium interposed between said upstream edges.

3. In a dam construction, a series of laterally aligned and spaced dam sections, iiexible lips eii'tending upstream from the adjacent lateral portionsofv the dam sections, said lips extending vertically of the sections and having proximal upstream. edges, a sealing medium interposed betweenL said proximal edges, and gate means between each pair of lips and on the downstream side thereof.

4. InV a dam construction, a series of laterally aligned` and spaced dam sections, flexible lips carried by the adjacent lateral portions of the dam sections, said lips having upstream extendingportionsand each pair of adjacent lips having their upstreamedgescurved toward each other to form arch-like sides having their upstream edges urged toward each other upon water being impoundedby the dam, a sealing medium interposed between said upstream edges, and gate means between each pair of lips and on the downstream side thereof.

EDGAR H.' PARKINSON. THOMAS EDWARD GARDNER. WYNDHAM THEODORE VINT. 

